TNS manager Ken McKenna was unhappy with the individual errors that allowed Manchester City to score five times in their Uefa Cup qualifier first leg on Thursday night. That included a couple of blunders from goalkeeper and lifelong City fan Gerry Doherty, but McKenna refused to blame the individuals themselves.
"We've conceded some daft goals but that's why my players are at the level that they are," said McKenna.
"There were two goalkeeping errors but that is why he is playing for TNS and not Manchester City."
McKenna is realistic about the gulf in class between the Welsh Premiership and the English version, after City had thoroughly bossed proceedings at their new City of Manchester Stadium.
But he promised there would be no cavalier attitude in the return leg at the Millennium Stadium in a fortnight and the side from Llansanffraid would be taking it very seriously.
"Last year we were 5-0 down after the first leg to the Polish side Amica Wronki.
"We threw everything at them in the second match, got to 2-2 at half-time, then eventually lost 7-2 and then got slated by the Welsh FA.
"I think we need to take that into account when we look at the second leg in a fortnight's time."
That is also the message coming out of the Manchester City camp, with manager Kevin Keegan vowing to field his strongest side on 28 August despite their 5-0 lead.
Trevor Sinclair's first-half effort at Eastlands on Thursday night, plus further strikes from Shaun Wright-Phillips, Jihai Sun, David Sommeil and Nicolas Anelka after the interval have already turned the Cardiff return into a formality.
With key Premiership games against Blackburn and Arsenal falling either side of City's trip to south Wales, Keegan could be forgiven for resting some of his key men.
However, the former England boss is determined not to ease off so early in the season and is adamant all his star names will be on show for the second leg against TNS in a fortnight's time.
"We will go there with our strongest team and look to finish the job off properly," said Keegan.
"It is 25 years since Manchester City were in Europe and a lot of our supporters will be making the trip, so they are guaranteed a gate of 10,000 already.
"TNS showed last night that they are a well-prepared, organised team. The scoreline might suggest a good beating but we had to earn every one of those goals.
"They deserve credit for continuing to do what they were good at and not get sucked into doing things they weren't and we expect them to do the same again in Cardiff."
MMIX
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We will go there with our strongest team and look to finish the job off properly 
